Post by thomasallencummins on May 21, 2007 11:44:28 GMT -5
www.space.com/adastra/070517_adastra_solarpowersats.html
The basic idea: build huge satellites in Earth orbit to gather sunlight, convert it to electricity, and beam the energy to Earth using microwaves. We know we can do it, most satellites are powered by solar energy today and microwave beaming of energy has been demonstrated with very high efficiency. We're talking about SSP - solar satellite power.
This approach certainly would have an enormous impact on how the world generates power. It could be argued that along with advances in power cells, personal vehicles would be powered by the same energy via the power cells being recharged by the general power source. Of course this future has been speculated about in one way or another in fiction. Of course there is always some super villain or alien race that renders the earth powerless by knocking out our satellites. Very interesting.
The basic idea: build huge satellites in Earth orbit to gather sunlight, convert it to electricity, and beam the energy to Earth using microwaves. We know we can do it, most satellites are powered by solar energy today and microwave beaming of energy has been demonstrated with very high efficiency. We're talking about SSP - solar satellite power.
This approach certainly would have an enormous impact on how the world generates power. It could be argued that along with advances in power cells, personal vehicles would be powered by the same energy via the power cells being recharged by the general power source. Of course this future has been speculated about in one way or another in fiction. Of course there is always some super villain or alien race that renders the earth powerless by knocking out our satellites. Very interesting.